The Pittsburgh-based Green Building Alliance (GBA) has selected Sparta, New Jersey-based Agile (News - Alert) OAK LLC as its web development partner for the Database for Analyzing Sustainable and High Performance Buildings (DASH).

DASH is representative of a growing need in the design and construction industries for an authoritative reference tool on existing building operations, maintenance, and performance—especially for green, sustainable, and high-performance structures. Although several entities have attempted to amass a similar database, they have not been able to collect enough data to provide a broad overview: They have been limited in scope (by developer, owner, company, or region), as well as by metrics (real estate, operations, or productivity).

The Green Building Alliance (GBA), which envisioned the idea for the database back in 2004, is leading the DASH effort; in conjunction with the Atlanta-based American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), which joined the team in 2008.

GBA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to driving market demand for green buildings and green building products in Western Pennsylvania. As a national pioneer and one of the first U.S. Green Building Council affiliate organizations, GBA continues to be a catalyst in its region and strives to meet the ever-changing demands of the green building marketplace. ASHRAE is an international organization that advances heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world.

To create a comprehensive, far-reaching archive, GBA and ASHRAE have actively recruited the participation and collaboration of stakeholders from real estate, industry, consulting, academia, national laboratories, and government at a variety of engagement levels. In doing so, they intend to link green building information to real estate and financial data. 

• The audience for DASH comprises:
• The property industry (decision-makers, developers, investors, owners, property management firms, and owner/operators);
• Researchers and analysts (colleges, universities, nonprofits, and government agencies); and
• Consultants, service providers, and developers (architects, engineers, contractors, other specifiers, facility managers, product/technology developers, and energy advocacy groups).
   Agile OAK is a facility management firm, which is serving as the principal web platform developer and providing guidance regarding the structure of the DASH building performance data repository.

When completed, DASH will be a world-class knowledge and data repository to further advance the adoption, effectiveness, and future development of green building initiatives.